Page:Maria Felicia.pdf/268

 and for you to get up or for me to lift you is impossible,” Andrew sighed.

“Oh, let me lie and bleed! Let the blood of Maria Felicia wash away the crime committed by her ancestors against the Bohemian nation and your dislike for her,” the harper gasped, and fainted away.

At these words it seemed that Andrew’s strength returned. For a moment, as if stunned, he looked into the harper’s face, forgetting the struggle around him; and then suddenly he arose, lifted the harper, pressed him to his bosom, made his way out through the struggling crowd, and started into the forest. Young Felsenburk, seeing that Andrew was running away and carrying his comrade in his arms, commanded his soldiers to follow him, and promised a great reward to him who should bring back the brave flagbearer, dead or alive. They started to the forest, surrounded and searched it through and through, and not finding the runaway, they set it on fire; but no trace of the young men was found. The peasants concluded